Nick Bruder
1933 - 2021
Nikolaus Bruder, beloved husband of Edith Bruder, passed away peacefully in Coaldale on Saturday, July 10, 2021 at the age of 87 years, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Burial Service was held at the Taber Memorial Garden, 7600 - 50 Street, Taber on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 10:30 A.M.
Nick is survived by his loving wife of sixty six years, Edith; daughters Silvia Parks of Taber and Monica Keul of Coaldale; son Nikolaus (Lucy) Bruder Jr of Taber; grandchildren Laurie-Ann (Todd) Kerkhoff and their children, Morgan and Lucas; Jeremy Parks and his children Jordan, Audray, Raygan, Saidey, Owen and Leigha; Jaclyn (Gary) Tatlow and their children Teagan and Brody; Maryann (Stephen) Verloop and their children Tyler, Joshua and Nathan; Sandra (Mike) Neville and their son Zachary and Sandra’s son Tristin Keul; Kristy Keul (Justin Fiebich); five great great grandchildren; sister-in-law Marlena Bruder as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents Adam and Monika Bruder; brother Matthias Bruder; sister Katharina Schafer and her husband Peter; son-in-laws William Parks Jr. and Michael Keul.
Nick was born in Stanischitsch, Yugoslavia on July 13, 1933, the eldest son of Adam and Monika Bruder. He grew up in the midst of the chaos of WWII. Nick heroically saved the lives of his mother and siblings by escaping from a Nazi concentration camp at the age of nine, to enlist the aid of an influential uncle. Despite the tragedies and losses suffered during the war, Nick grew with resilience and a zeal for life.
Nick met the love of his life, Edith Zeber at a New Year’s Eve dance in Austria in 1952. They were engaged in 1954 and married on March 26, 1955. A year later, their first daughter Silvia was born. In October of 1956, the young family immigrated to Canada by ship on the S.S. Columbia. They settled in Taber, where his sister and her husband resided.
Despite not speaking any English, Nick quickly found employment with Cunningham & Shannon in bridge construction. Later he worked in various other construction jobs before his employment with Rogers Sugar Company, where he worked as a foreman for thirty five years until his retirement.
Nick had a love for fishing, hunting and the great outdoors. He and Edith also loved to go dancing any chance they could, especially if they were German dances with waltzes and polkas. When he retired, his passion became his beautiful yard and garden. He undeniably had one of the most plush lawns in town. He often would be seen driving his brown Jimmy around town, looking for garage sales while playing his polka music or making his daily trip to the grocery store to snag the discounted bakery deals. Nick also had a great love of collecting hats and anything brass that he found at the many garage sales he frequented over the years.
Nick was a loving husband, father and grandfather, always doting on his wife, and entertaining his kids and grandkids with his harmonica playing, whistling, chattering of his false teeth and his practical jokes. He had a terrific sense of humour and was a great storyteller who could capture your attention with the endless and almost unbelievable, but true, stories of his life.
Sadly, Nick’s memory began to fail and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014. He lost his battle with the disease while in the wonderful care of the staff at the Coaldale Health Centre.
The family will be eternally grateful for the kindness and loving care that the staff gave to Nick in his final months, as well as to his doctors and nurses, the staff at Linden View in Taber and the staff at Edith Cavell Care Centre in Lethbridge, who all cared for Nick over the last few years of his life.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Nick’s name may be made directly to the Alzheimer’s Society, 40, 1202 - 2 Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 0E3 www.alzheimer.ca.